Mets Fire Carlos Mendoza After Disappointing Start to 2026 Season

The New York Mets have officially made a significant shakeup to this year’s team.

After putting together a really disappointing 34-47 start to the season, the Mets have fired manager Carlos Mendoza, making him one of the first managerial casualties of the current MLB season.

And while managers often take the blame when expectations aren’t met, this is bigger than just replacing a voice in the clubhouse.

New York wasn’t necessarily expected to be a top-tier contender entering the season, but this is still falling well below expectations. The rest of the competitive teams in the National League are starting to pull away, and the front office clearly felt that being this far below .500 required a change.

A spark in the clubhouse. A new voice. A new strategy. Just something different had to happen in order to even attempt to salvage the season.

Mendoza doesn’t deserve all the blame. At the end of the day, it’s the players going on the field and either making plays or not making plays. Roster construction, injuries and individual performance all play a role, and a lot of that sits outside the manager’s control.

But when expectations are fairly high and the results don’t follow, this is often what happens.

Now the attention shifts to what comes next.

The Mets have to determine not only who will replace Mendoza, but also what they want to do with the roster ahead of the MLB trade deadline. A new manager could provide a temporary spark, but there are clearly deeper roster flaws with this team that won’t be solved by one move in the dugout.

After months of disappointing baseball, the Mets have officially made their first big move of the season. And it may not be the last.